Now They're More Than Petty Words
by CrimsonPearlAlice
Summary: The third Seirin and Kirisaki Daiichi game is coming up and Hanamiya is still determined to make Kiyoshi's life miserable, even if the Iron Heart is confined to the bench. Now those many threats against Hyuuga and his teammates will become actions. Not to mention all the ex-Teiko players are watching and prepared to raise hell if a certain phantom player is injured. Details inside.
1. Fine, Don't Heed My Warning

AN: I'm currently going through and editing this story. It has bar far been my most successful story on FanFiction, so I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed the story. Your support is really what keeps me writing.

Basically this story is my take on what happens during the Kirisaki Daiichi game the year following the series, now that Kiyoshi cannot play. I wanted to focus especially on the friendship between Hyuuga and Kiyoshi throughout the ordeal, and how they deal with Hanamiya's antagonistic ways. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

From the time the first few beads of light made their way through half open eyes, Hyuuga Junpei knew that today was going to be awful. He had simply woken up in an irritable and inapproachable mood, and he wracked his brain as to why. Clumsily grabbing his glasses and putting them on, he kicked at the tangled mess of sheets around his ankles and crawled out of bed, stretching as he did so. Scrunching up his nose at the stuffy smell of his room he stumbled over to his window and forcefully shoved it open after it got stuck. He then slowly began to get dressed for school after glancing at the clock and seeing that he still had an hour before he had to leave. He was unable to go five minutes without yawning, but couldn't quite remember what it was that kept him up so late and plagued his normally sound sleeping schedule. Seirin's Captain typically slept like a rock after practice. The morning passed in a sleepy blur, showering, eating breakfast, gathering his books, and grunting a halfhearted farewell to parents that he felt wouldn't ever really be able to see things in the same way he did. They supported him playing basketball, called it a nice hobby, but would never grasp how the boy breathed- _lived- _the sport.

He made it halfway out the door before he realized he didn't have his sneakers with him, he thought his basketball bag was lighter than normal, and his chest immediately tightened. He turned on his heel and sprinted back into the house, realizing that if he didn't leave immediately he would be late. So much for a drawn out, lazy morning. As he crashed through his house and back into his cramped bedroom, crooping up the basketball shoes with one hand, he triped over a discarded textbook and slammed his shoulder into the wall. He resisted the urge to curse, knowing his mother was only a few strides away in the kitchen, and felt the edges of a headache coming on. He The previous night's practice came back into his state of mind. How he discussed with the new first years who their next opponents were, standing in the middle of the gym with narrowed eyed but wobbly legs and antsy feet. Dizzying anger and frustration and an _ache _in his chest as he met eyes with Kiyoshi from across the room. The image of him holding an impish Hanamiya by the shirt and Seirin's center blocking a blow meant for him flashing through his mind in a blur. He remembered how he told the new players about Kirisaki Daiichi's rough house style of play- but hadn't gone into detail so as to not scare them, if things went as planned they wouldn't be playing at all- and how he briefly expressed his concerns for specifically Kuroko and Kagami's safety. It was obvious that Kagami was their ace, but Kuroko was also their secret weapon in his own way. They were vital to each other's style of play, they weren't called the team's shadow and light for no reason. Pushing himself off the wall and rubbing his shoulder grudgingly Hyuuga headed out the door, slamming it behind him in his haste.

The boy skidded down the hall and sprinted out the house's front entrance earning himself a smart ass remark from his mother about how he was going to be late again. He mumbled something inaudible, swung his backpack over his not jostled shoulder and continued down the street, making a few too many mad dashes across busy streets that he normally would have been comfortable with. He had only just entered the school's main building when the bell rang, and another two minutes passed before he got to his home room class, right in the middle of the morning announcements. Normally this would have made his face turn red with heat, but it was the last thing on his mind. Their game today was more nerve wracking than anything his mathematics teacher could throw at him.

"Ah, Hyuuga, nice of you to finally join us for class, we were beginning to think that you weren't going to show up," Hyuuga gave a slight bow and apologized, slipping his way towards the far side of the room next to the windows and took his seat behind Izuki Shun and Kiyoshi Teppei, both of which were giving him concerned looks.

Izuki leaned back slightly and whispered, "of all the days for you to sleep in- I couldn't sleep at all. You're like a sloth!"

"A sloth? Oh shut up Izuki I don't need your stupid sense of humor this morning!" Hyuuga grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Izuki held up his hands in defense, a small smile on his lips and turned to face the front of the class again.

It was silent for a few moments, Hyuuga was just beginning to nod off once more when he heard a voice behind him, "I tried texting you to wake you up, but you never answered."

Hyuuga turned slightly to face Kiyoshi and then began digging in his bag to check his phone, only to see the small screen appear with six new text messages. He raised an eyebrow as he began opening them half way under the desk so their teacher wouldn't notice. 'Hey, how are you feeling about today?' 'I'll be able to come, so let me know if you need anything' 'Hello?' 'Hyuuga are you awake?' 'Hyuuuuugggaaaaa' 'You're going to be late for class, please get here soon we want to have a meeting at lunch, Riko told me this morning.' The Captain sighed and closes his phone with a shake of his head. He could never understand Kiyoshi's facade of ease.

"Well, aren't you going to reply?" Kiyoshi snidely asked. Hyuuga huffed and turned around, hearing a light chuckle from behind him. He wasn't in an approachable mindset, and frankly he wouldn't have acted that way around Kiyoshi if he didn't know that he would simply brush off his bad mood.

The rest of his classes passed by in a blink, but as the day went on he himself was going through a seemingly endless cycle of mixed emotions. Hyuuga was nervous and irritated and royally pissed off and there may or may not have been a small inkling of fear in the back of his mind. The mere thought of Hanamiya hurting yet another one of his teammates made his breath get caught in his throat for half a second. He didn't want to take any more trips to the hospital. He was mainly nervous for Kuroko and Kagami, but he knew they could fend for themselves… but he was the Captain. It was his job to worry for everyone and take on the team stress in their stead and do what was necessary to keep the team together- not what was nice. Just like it was Kiyoshi's job to protect everyone and keep the positive energy flowing. But Hyuuga could tell that the normal aura of never ending positivity around Kiyoshi was wavering as the sun steadily sunk behind skyscrapers. It sort of had been the entire year. He couldn't play, he was confined to the sidelines, and still even had a small wrap on his leg from the ACL surgery in America. Hyuuga didn't know who was more torn up about that, himself or Kiyoshi. It was painful for both of them he knew, for Kiyoshi to have to watch everything happen and not be able to help on the court, and for himself to have to play without his best friend by his sided (Damned if he would ever admit this, however). He shook these thoughts out of his mind, he couldn't be thinking about that. He had to be focused on the game at hand.

He made his way up onto the roof after grabbing a sandwich and water bottle for lunch, he wasn't in the mood to eat much of anything. Since the basketball team had won the Winter Cup last year, it was the unspoken rule that they could go on the roof and not get in trouble as long as it was in good condition when they left, even the teachers didn't mind. Everyone in the school was proud to say that _their_ team took down the Generation of Miracles, and everyone was just as hopeful that they could do the same again. Of course, word had traveled a bit about Kirisaki Daiichi and Kiyoshi's sport ending injury and how he got it, but truly no one outside of the basketball circuit understood Hanamiya Makoto's methods. Hyuuga didn't really want them too, anyways. It was like a private affair. It was their problem, he didn't want anyone's pity. They could heal without it.

Opening the door Hyuuga blinked the bright light away and saw Riko, a light grin gracing his face at the sight of their coach. She nodded at him in greeting, expression grim. Hyuuga snapped to attention along with everyone else on his team- Mitobe, Izuki, Kagami, Kuroko, Furi, and the three new first years, Rin, Itsuki, and Yamoto. Hyuuga's eyes skimmed those three over; all three of them looked eager and excited, well rested and innocent. How Hyuuga envied them. Immediately, Riko demanded attention, "alright everyone, listen up. Today we're playing Kirisaki Daiichi. Now, as you returning players know," her eyes wavered over Kiyoshi for a few moments, "this team relies on rough methods and fouls. Now first years, last night I sugar coated their style to make sure you weren't up all night fretting, as apparently," her eyes narrowed as she glanced Hyuuga over, "_some_ of you were. But now I don't have time for that. Kirisaki Daiichi is the team that damaged Kiyoshi's knee intentionally, and ultimately caused his basketball career having to end early. They use their elbows frequently, and be careful if you jump since they may try to get underneath you to trip you. They also utilize rough screens to anyone on the court, but specifically those who are the greatest threat. Now first years I'm not putting you in unless I absolutely have to, but be ready in case. No matter what you see don't yell at the refs and don't foul them back, this goes for everyone. We can't risk getting fouls and having anyone sit out."

She paused and glanced around and Hyuuga took this as his moment to add in his own two cents. He sighed and stood up, cracking his neck as he did so. He thought he saw Kiyoshi and Izuki smile knowingly out of the corner of his eye. "Going off what Coach said, they will go after those who are the highest scorers and best assets to the team. I'm not saying don't try to win, I'm not saying don't give it your all, but don't try to be the hero. Don't draw too much attention to yourself. Pass to everyone, involve everyone, and everyone try your hardest to score. If we don't put the limelight on any one specific person then they won't make one person their target. I couldn't- we can't stand to have any more serious injuries." Hyuuga stuttered and looked at the ground. He couldn't deal with knowing another player on his team was done with basketball due to something as preventable as an injury. He still hadn't forgiven himself for not getting the pressure off Kiyoshi during their last match. He was the clutch shooter, but had gotten so caught up in his own emotions that he couldn't make the shots to get Hanamiya's attention away from Kiyoshi and on him. He looked at Furi nervously, the boy had taken over as center for Kiyoshi after his injury, and even though he was a good player, he was no prodigy. Te boy needed to hit a growth spurt to match his talent, he was determined and proud, but he was one of the smallest center in the basketball circuit and it showed in his play. He was tiny and scrawny and Hyuuga was scared for him.

"Also, the Generation of Miracles will all be coming, Akashi told me last night."

_"What?"_

Kuroko shrugged. "That's just what Akashi said. He just told me everyone would be coming to watch. I just thought I would tell you all in case you see them. They are," Kuroko paused and glanced at Kagami, "very _anxious_ for the match."

Kagami cleared his throat. "Um- okay- thanks, Kuroko." Hyuuga met Riko's gaze and the pair sighed. This was going to be a trying day.

Once lunch was over, they only had one more class left in the day before they would all pile on the bus and go to the stadium. Hyuuga was making his way towards the classroom when Kiyoshi intercepted him. "Oi, Hyuuga, can I talk to you for a second?"

Hyuuga raised an eyebrow at the seriousness of Kiyoshi's voice. "Sure, but make it quick, I don't want to be late twice in one day-"

Despite the urgency in Hyuuga's voice, Kiyoshi was calm and collected as per usual. But there was a waver in his tone that caught Hyuuga off guard and made him stop in his rampage to the classroom. "I never told you last year, but Hanamiya has threatened you directly before, and I'm afraid he might try something today."

Hyuuga's gut tightened but he kept his face straight and took a deep breath; in through his nose and hissed out through clenched teeth. "I know. I heard two years ago, at the end of the match," he grumbled, and started to walk away, feigning disinterest also as per usual, but Kiyoshi put a large hand on his shoulder. Hyuuga winced and Kiyoshi's eyebrows rose steadily up his forehead. Seirin's Captain gave a barely recognizable shake of his head. The Iron Heart knew of Hyuuga's defense methods, just as Hyuuga knew of Kiyoshi's, and an unspoken conversation of concern passed without result.

"It isn't just that. I mean he told me that I was lucky that you didn't get hurt last year, too. With this happening twice, I'm just nervous that this year he might target you specifically. He's made enough comments about it-"

Hyuuga did his best to remain stoic. "He wouldn't go after me, I'm not enough of a threat. He would target Kuroko or Kagami, or anyone stupid enough to make themselves the shield," he eyed Kiyoshi irately, but his expression remained passive.

Kiyoshi removed his hand from Hyuuga's shoulder and let it fall limply to his side. "Hyuuga I'm serious, I think he's going to actually try to hurt you this year. He never has made any comment about anyone else, not even Kagami and Kuroko-"

"I'm no prodigy, Kiyoshi-"

It was like he flipped a switch and a spark light in Kiyoshi's gaze. Most wouldn't notice it, but his jaw tightened and his fingers curled into fists. "You're stronger than you look. It would be logical for him to go after you, without your three pointers-" Hyuuga growled and Kiyoshi grew silent, deflated. "I'm just trying to warn you. I would be sick if anything happened to you."

Hyuuga was speechless for a few moments before mustering up a reply, "I'll be fine, idiot." _I'm telling you they aren't going to target me so shut up already. _He resisted the urge to say his thoughts out loud, and without another word slipped into his class.

He was barely able to listen to the physics lecture, instead his mind was playing Kiyoshi's words like a movie. Had Hanamiya really threatened to hurt him specifically? And not just once but twice? It might not have been that big of a deal, he probably just said something to scare Kiyoshi. Yet there was a tiny voice in the back of his head that thought maybe there was some meaning behind Hanamiya's threats, and it terrified him. But at the same time, there was a tinge of pride, it meant that Hanamiya saw him as a talented enough player to want to take him out of the game. By no means did he want to be a target, no he would never want that, but he had a sense of satisfaction. If Kirisaki Daiichi felt threatened enough by him, it meant that he was putting up a fight and playing well, well enough to even be put into the same category as Kuroko, Kagami, and Kiyoshi, as a a member of the Generation of Miracles, an Honorary member, and a Crownless General. He scoffed at himself. Had being placed on the Vorpal Swords team last summer meant _anything _to his confidence?

* * *

Seirin had arrived at the arena before Kirisaki Daiichi and the team quickly changed into their uniforms, put their warm up shirts on top of their jerseys, and made their way out onto the court to begin preparing for the match. Riko had wanted them to show up extra early for more practice time, and due to the hectic buss schedule it had only been partially successful. Kiyoshi cringed when one of the first years asked if they should be wearing mouth guards, given the nature of the team they were playing. Kiyoshi looked on at the others- his teammates- as they were getting ready. He flexed his knee subconsciously only for a small jolt of pain to emanate up his leg, making him frown but show no other signs on discomfort. The doctors had said it would be a long recovery process, considering how badly he had injured it and continued to play for so long, and a light pain would be normal. Still, he felt that he should be on the court. He was glad he could still help out the team by giving them data on their opponents, but that wasn't what he thought he was meant to do. He was meant to be playing side by side, with his teammates and friends. But, ultimately, he wanted to be there for them, to protect them, so he would do anything and everything in his power to do just that. Even if that was by merely playing trainer and manager on the sidelines.

"How are you doing, Teppei?" Riko asked from his side, he shrugged.

"Just fine. Yourself?" She said nothing. Kiyoshi continued to look on, Kagami's dunks were more violent and his sprints more jagged, Kuroko's passes stronger and more powerful yet didn't appear to be any harder to catch. Hyuuga's shots were perfect. Everyone was devoting all of their mental capacity to that game and Kiyoshi was so proud.

Kiyoshi stood up, tested his leg, and waved once at Riko. "I'm going to go walk around for a bit, see you soon." If he stayed sitting for too long his knee would get stiff and ache, and yet if he remained standing for extensive amounts of time, it would start to throb. This kept him in an ever present state of motion and changing positions, which was tedious, but kept him awake at least. Walking up the stairs caused a slight ting of pain but he pushed the thoughts out of his mind, the back flips of his stomach were much more noticeable, anyways. He pushed open the doors and walked out of the arena. Kiyoshi wasn't exactly sure where he was going, so long as he was moving and begging for his mind to think of anything other than horrific images of his teammates sprawled out on the court yelling in pain, laying in hospital beds as the cold night crept in, clutching injured limbs. He reached the main hallway which branched off into different entrances to the courts, only to see a group of forest green and navy blue jerseys and warm up jackets. He stiffened but kept his eyes ahead and continued walking, not wanting to cause a scene or any trouble. He hadn't expected Kirisaki Daiichi to arrive for another fifteen minutes at least, and yet as fat would have it, here they were. A few of them glanced at him with varying degrees of humor to curiosity, as he walked by and rounded a corner, only to see number four haphazardly tying a lose shoe string.

"Hey Iron Heart," He said lightly. "Good to see you again." The mock sincerity in his voice made Kiyoshi's heart drop and he nodded back at Hanamiya in recognition. The self proclaimed Bad Boy glanced down at Kiyoshi's knee once before meeting Kiyoshi's gaze, his eyes grey and murky. "Are you playing today?"

"No," Kiyoshi said sternly. "I can't play anymore, or do any activity that is strenuous for my legs."

Hanamiya frowned. "Oh I'm so sorry to hear that, too bad for that accident two years ago, huh?" Kiyoshi had always been the gentleman, and he was trying to uphold that idea, but he was quickly slipping. Faster and faster, and unless something changed, he would lose his control.

"Yes. It was unfortunate."

It was silent between the two for a few moments, and it was only then that Kiyoshi realized the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi had continued on down the hall, leaving the two Crownless Generals alone. Hanamiya looking up at Kiyoshi lazily, his bangs falling in front of his curious, almost childlike face. Kiyoshi tried to keep his expression passive. "Hopefully nothing else happens today. I would hate to have another accident."

Kiyoshi took a deep breath which did nothing to calm his nerves and turned slightly to see Hanamiya with a minuscule wicked grin on his face- positively insane. Thoughts ran through Seirin's ex-Center's mind at a mile a minute; why was Hanamiya like this? Was it truly such a basic idea as he enjoyed pain? That it tasted of honey and gave him some sense of _pleasure? _Kiyoshi knew he didn't have time to ponder this. "I hope not. Everyone has improved. It would be a shame to have any one of them be hurt." Kiyoshi knew he was walking on eggshells. If he gave even the slightest hint to Kirisaki Daiichi's Captain that he was concerned about one person in particular he knew that Hanamiya would order his team to go after them. And yet if he was completely passive then he wouldn't be taking care of his team. "I won't let any of them be hurt, I'm working as the manager and the trainer. I scouted out your team and they seem strong, but I have faith in my team. If any of them need anything during the game I'll be there to help, so don't think I'm out completely. I'm looking after all of them."

Hanamiya gave a light chuckle. "Oh I'm sure you will, Iron Heart. If I remember correctly you went to such valiant efforts to protect your four eyed captain particularly." Kiyoshi's breath caught in his throat and for a moment he couldn't breathe. He knew this was going to happen, that sinking feeling was right all along and he just had been too afraid to allow the idea to see any light. He knew Hanamiya didn't throw threats out to players with no reason or purpose.

"And I will again, if I must." Then Kiyoshi turned and fled, walking as fast as he dared considering his knee, down the hall the through the door and down the stairs to the bench. He made eye contact with Riko and she noticed something off, a sharpness that sent a shiver down her spine, an urgency that Kiyoshi nearly never had.

"Teppei slow down," she scolded, eyes glancing over his leg, "what's the matter?" Her tone was hard and nonnegotiable and it made Kiyoshi look his team over, unblinking, until he found a mop of black hair.

He held up a hand at Riko and brushed by, walking over to where his teammates were warming up on the court. "Hyuuga!" Kiyoshi made no effort to lower his voice or be subtle, surely all the other Kirisaki Daiichi players must be aware of Hanamiya's plan at this point? And soon all of Seirin would, as well, so long as Kiyoshi had air in his lungs. Hyuuga raised an eyebrow, having been about to take a shot, but soon bounced the basketball on the court three more times in preparation for getting a few more practice shots in. Kiyoshi made no effort to lower his voice or be subtle, surely all the other Kirisaki Daiichi players must be aware of Hanamiya's plan at this point? And soon all of Seirin would, as well, so long as Kiyoshi had air in his lungs.

Riko put a light hand on Kiyoshi's arm and stopped him before he made it all the way out to the middle of the court. "What is it, Teppei? What's the matter?" Seirin's Coach had her eyebrows furrowed together and lips pursed, being kept in the dark was only serving to infuriate her and tighten the hold her nerves had on her, because Kiyoshi _never _lost his cool and was always collected. Not like this. Not this quiet rage, this growing hurricane.

"I just ran into Hanamiya."

"You went looking for him?"

Kiysohi gave a single shake of his head. "No of course not. I just went walking around and I ran into him. He told me he's going to try to hurt Hyuuga. He's threatened him numerous times. I tried to warn him but he didn't listen to me. But I'm sure of it, their target is Hyuuga," he enunciated for clarity even though it was hardly necessary, somehow saying it out loud made it more final and more real, like it was something tangible they could either fight against or accept. Riko's eyes grew wide for half a second before she blew on her whistle and all of Seirin came over.

Everyone looked at the Coach and Manager questioningly, and just as Riko was about to say something the doors at the top of the stairs opened and Kirisaki Daiichi came in, set their stuff down on the bench, and began their warm up. "Hyuuga," Riko started, loud enough that her voice may have reached the Kirisaki Daiichi team. "You're not playing."

"What?" He screeched without hesitation, a fury burnign in his grey eyes and lines etched into his forehead as he glared. "What the hell do you mean I'm not playing, Riko?"

Kiyoshi put a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder but the Captain pushed it off immediately. "Hyuuga, I ran into Hanamiya, and he said that he was going to go after you. For two years now he has always said that you're lucky that you weren't crushed, and just now he mentioned how he noticed that I always went to great lengths to protect you-"

Hyuuga was red in the face and his fists were clenched at his sides as he yelled, "And I never asked for your protection, Iron Heart! I tried to get you not to play and you didn't listen- so what makes you think I'm going to listen when you tell me not to? Of course I'm playing! We're all at risk, not just me! Why only take me out? Why just protect me? Then everyone else could get hurt even worse! Don't you _dare_ take me out of this game." Hyuuga was silent as he finished, and it was as if the entire court was empty. Kiyoshi and Riko did not take their gaze off Hyuuga for many moments, but then Kiyoshi heaved a sigh and looked down, a tenacious smile flickering across his face.

"You're right." Riko gave a cry of outrage but one glance from Kiyoshi stopped her. "It's better if you stay in," he resigned, because he could relate, he would do anything to protect his team, he just didn't realize Hyuuga was the same as him in that regard. But the thought of Hyuuga being hurt caused Kiyoshi physical pain. Hyuuga was his rock, the team's leader, their clutch shooter and a motivator, he was a constant that kept them together because he refused to leave the court. Taking Hyuuga out would destroy them all, even if he will be crushed himself. "I figured it was worth a try, though."


	2. You're Completely Vulnerable

The silence that had previously consumed the court at Kiyoshi's accusation that Hanamiya was targeting Hyuuga seemed to disipate at the clutch shooters blatant refusal to leave the court. Hyuuga was the captain, the team's leader and constant, leaving was never an option. Knowing this, Riko immediately ushered everyone back onto the court to get more practice in before the game. "Two on ones, hurry it up!" The Coach blew the whistle and they were off.

Kagami nodded at Izuki as the two rushed the hoop, with Furi jumping outwards to defend Izuki, who had the ball. Izuki faked left and passed the ball to his right and Furi jumped for it, the ball missing his fingers by a centimeter. Kagami caught it and dribbled twice, before launching himself up in the air at the hoop, slamming the ball in over Furi's head, swinging his elbow lightly as he fell down.

"Hey Kagami be careful, we don't need you trying to kill us too!" Furi insisted.

The ace shrugged and grinned a wicked smile, no enjoyment in his expression and it was instead replaced by a grim determination. "I'm just practicing so I can break one of those bastard's noses-"

"Oi!" Hyuuga protested from across their half of the court. "Don't stoop to their level! We need you. You can't be stuck on the bench because of some stupid revenge bent foul!" He jogged over to Kagami and lowered his voice, "but if you can do it and not get caught I'm all for it." Riko threw a water bottle at the Captain's head and he ducked, glaring at her in offense and throwing the water bottle back in retaliation.

"All of you shut up and focus!" Riko yelled, everyone immediately froze and scampered back into their proper places.

The rest of the warm up was uneventful with hardly any side chatter whatsoever. Until, finally, the whistle for the game to begin sounded, and both teams huddled up. Kirisaki Daiichi spoke in hushed voices to each other for many moments, and Hyuuga turned to the rest of his team, made eye contact with Kiyoshi over Mitobe's shoulder, and took a deep breath, "alright everyone, be careful, stay focused. We can beat them, but ultimately you have to put your safety first. If you're hurt, call for a sub, it's alright. And Furi, be careful in the center. Fukada can always go in for you if you need to." Fukada nodded in confirmation and gave Furi a small smile.

The smaller boy gulped and nodded, "yes Captain!"

Kiyoshi ruffled Furi's hair. "Let's have some fun." Of course, Hyuuga could hear the strain behind the Iron Heart's voice, he knew his friend had been dreading this game since the start of the season and had been agonizing over having to watch his friends play against a violent team.

"Seirin_\- fight!"_ The cheer echoed across the walls, and groups of people cheered from the stands. Hyuuga glanced up at a particularly loud whoop coming from a blond near the front row- Kise. His eyes widened as he saw a spec of blue and pink- Aomine and Momoi- out of the other corner of his eye near the entrance, Murisakibara, the purple haired giant on the opposite side of the court was also looming. Then there was a green haired speckled boy- Midorima on their side of the court halfway up the stands. Lastly a small figure, standing just behind Seirin's bench, made a chill run down Hyuuga's spine. Akashi gave a small nod to Kuroko and continued to watch the lineup of the game. All of the Teiko graduates being in the same room was terrifying, and Hyuuga couldn't help but wonder what they would do if Kuroko were to be injured. There was an energy about them, raw and unbreakable, like a zone all it's own.

Hyuuga was snapped from his thoughts when the ref threw the ball into the air, and Kagami jumped up for it, grabbing onto it and tucking it in immediately before landing. Izuki dashed in behind Kagami and he threw the ball away to Izuki, who dribbled halfway down the court before being stopped dead in his tracks by a tall Kirisaki Daiichi player with gelled back hair, Kentaro Seto. Izuki dribbled and took a step backwards, only for Kentaro to push the ball out of his hands and begin dribbling down the opposite direction. Izuki spun on his heel and began sprinting backwards towards the net. Hanamiya was running down the center and Furi sprinted to mark him while Hyuuga ran after the man with the ball. Hyuuga put up his hands but Kentaro continued dribbling forward, forcing Hyuuga backwards by holding his free arm in front of his torso. Hyuuga saw the dead eyes Kojiro Furuhashi dash behind him as the Kentaro stopped to shoot a three pointer. Hyuuga jumped to block the ball, but Kuroko got behind the Daiichi player first, batting it out of his hands. The boy's elbow flew backwards, hitting Kuroko in the shoulder who winced but stepped after the ball and passed it down the court to Kagami. Hanamiya turned around and began running back towards his hoop, yelling, "come on defense let's get it out. Don't let them score!" Hyuuga resisted the urge to wince at the fake team enthusiasm the Kirisaki Daiichi captain was radiating.

Kagami sprinted towards the hoop, jumped and slammed it in, the first basket of the game scored. Seirin turned around, ready to stop any offensive attacks, Once again Hyuuga ran up, only for the ball to be passed between his legs to another Daiichi player- the sandy haired one who Hyuuga was particularly annoyed at due to his apparent obsession with chewing gum- Kazuya Hara. Hyuuga spun around on his heel rapidly in order to catch up, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as he did so. Kazuya dribbled around Kagami, who made a dive to knock the ball out of his hands but missed, and Furi made a move to push the ball away but was unsuccessful, and the boy jumped at the hoop, dunking the ball in.

"Izuki!" Hyuuga screeched as Kazuya fell backwards, and Izuki jumped out of the way of his falling elbow just before it would have collided with his head. The Captain breathed a sigh of relief.

Kazuya glanced back at Izuki and chuckled under his breath. "Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were behind me."

Hyuuga growled but kept his feet firmly planted where he was so as to not allow himself to do anything he knew he would regret later.

"Come on ref open your eyes!" Aomine yelled, his lash out obvious from his tone. Hyuuga thought he saw Kuroko's lips twitch upwards as Izuki threw the ball in.

Kuroko caught the ball and looked down field as Hyuuga sprinted down the sideline, calling for the ball. He saw Kagami rush for the net with Furuhashi standing nearby and a chill ran down Hyuuga's spine. He remembered very vividly the day Kiyoshi had been injured and the situation seemed all too familiar. A player on the inside ready to get the rebound, a Daiichi player standing in wake, with Hanamiya just at the free throw line, ready to give the signal. Seirin's Captain knew he couldn't risk relying on rebounds.

"Kuroko here!" Hyuuga yelled again, caught the pass, and shot in one fluid motion. The speckled boy watched as the ball curved up into the air and into the hoop. Kiyoshi and Riko both gave a cheer from the sideline and Hyuuga breathed a sigh, releasing the tension from his shoulders as he did so. If Hyuuga could keep making three pointers, then they wouldn't have to worry near as much about injuries under the net.

Just as quickly as his shot had gone in, the game was going once again. Kazuya passed Hanamiya the ball, who quickly dribbled around Furi's efforts to mark him. Hyuuga and Izuki ran down the court, only to be marked by Kentaro and Kojiro respectively. The red headed Hiroshi ran behind the fray to block the ref and Hyuuga felt an elbow collide with his gut sharply. He winced but only willed himself to run faster, not only to get away from his attacker but to catch up with the play. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Izuki wince and stumble, but the eagle eye caught himself with one hand before he could fully hit the ground. Hyuuga's nails dug into his palm as he saw his friend get back up, rub his hamstring for half a second and continue running, in which time Hanamiya had made a two point shot, despite Kuroko's efforts to slow him down.

A whistle sounded through the air, and Hyuuga was faintly aware of Riko calling for a time out. He jogged off the court along with his other teammates, and grabbed his water bottle, very much aware of Kiyoshi hovering from person to person like a hawk, ice packs in hand. Izuki appeared to be the worst- he had a bruise already forming on his right thigh and was holding his side in an awkward way. Hyuuga narrowed his eyes as he starred down the team on the other side of the court, and listened as Hanamiya gave a quick (mock, he was certain) pep talk before quieting down and talking in much more subtle tones.

Furi was breathing heavily, and Hyuuga knew the boy was exhausted and the first quarter wasn't even over yet. "Furi, if you want Fukada or Mitobe could switch in for you, don't exhaust yourself so early on." The boy gave a meek nod and Fukada pulled off his warm up and stood from the bench, stretching his arms once.

Kiyoshi offered Kuroko a cold pack but the boy shook his head, there was an edge of a bruise visible on his shoulder from under his jersey but from where Hyuuga was standing he appeared alright. Kagami also seemed to be uninjured for the time being. Hyuuga's side was bothering him slightly but he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and focused on the game.

"Eh, Hyuuga," mentally the Captain prepared himself for having to turn down medical attention four or five times. Kiyoshi walked over to him and glanced him over, making sure that there weren't any obvious injuries. "Are you alright?"

Hyuuga nodded wordlessly.

"You sure? I thought I saw you get hit in the stomach; let me know if you need anything. Just don't do anything stupid and reckless."

"Like what you did last year?" Hyuuga jested, a ghost of a grin flickering across Kiyoshi's face.

"Exactly," Kiyoshi said, any hints of humor wiped from his expression. Hyuuga looked down at the court at this and focused on tying his shoe laces tighter.

Riko began rounding everyone up quickly and giving a few last words of advice. "Make sure your passes are strong and precise, be careful and watch for them, they're really good at hitting the ball away. Keep up the intensity guys."

"Also," Hyuuga cleared his throat, leaned up from his shoes and took another small sip of water before continuing. "Keep an eye on Hanamiya, he's number four. If he ever makes some sort of signal such as snapping his fingers, say something. I don't care what, yell at who he's looking at, yell stop, yell whatever the hell you want just do something. That's the biggest threat."

"But we can beat them, we're a better team than them, we have more heart and we're damn good players. Keep it up Seirin!"

Kiyoshi smiled lightly as he watched the rest of his team walk back out onto the court after giving their cheer. "I never pegged you as the motivational speech type, Hyuuga." The smaller boy grunted in response. "But you did well, they needed a little pick me up. Be careful."

The Captain nodded and walked back out onto the court, mere minutes left in the first quarter. It passed in a blur, with both teams focusing heavily on offensive attacks and quick rushes at the hoop. Hyuuga admired how well Fukada was doing at center- not that Furi hadn't been doing well, he had so much determination and effort, but Fukada was giving Kirisaki Daiichi a run for their money, and for that Hyuuga was proud.

But as the minutes ticked by, Seirin's Captain was getting antsy. Kentaro had remained marking him, inching ever so closer and closer, and every once in a while he would throw an elbow or stand on Hyuuga's foot while Hiroshi blocked the ref. Hyuuga hadn't touched the ball since the quarter resumed, and felt as if he was doing nothing more than run up and down the sidelines. Kuroko was trying to pass to him, but every time he was about to do so Hyuuga was shoved backwards by Kentaro, and Kuroko would have to change his pass last minute to go to Kagami, Izuki, or Fukada.

Hanamiya had the ball once more and was dribbling down the court with Kazuya running diagonal to him, clearing a path and acting as a pass. Izuki ran to Kazuya, marking him tightly. Kagami suddenly made a mad dash across the court, and Hyuuga realized that Kojiro was open, Fukada was running towards him but not fast enough. Then, in seemingly less than a blink, Kentaro was no longer on Hyuuga, he ran towards Kagami, screening him. Kagami let out a sharp cry and clutched his nose, stumbling backwards, and eventually lost his momentum and fell.

Aomine shouted from his seat, "hello ref com on where's the call?" A short chorus of other complaints echoed throughout the stands, but the game continued on.

Hyuuga saw Kagami start to get up, and snapped his attention back to the game. Without thinking he ran down sideline as Kuroko intercepted Hanamiya's pass to Hiroshi. Kuroko tossed the ball to the clutch shooter and Hyuuga dribbled twice, three times, before approaching the three point line. He skidded to a stop as Hanamiya slid in front of him and jumped to block his shot but with no luck, the ball flew over Hanamiya's outstretched hand and into the net, just as the first quarter ended. Hyuuga took in a shaky breath not simply due to exhaustion but also because of the emotional stress and adrenaline of the game.

"Oh no, he's alright, isn't he?" Hanamiya's voice made Hyuuga's blood run cold and he spun around to see Kagami clutching his nose, a stream of red running down his face, over his lips and dripping from his chin onto his jersey. Kagami looked more furious than in pain, his eyes wide and deadly as he glared at Kentaro from across the room while walking off the court. Kiyoshi met him halfway with a bundle of paper towels.

Hyuuga spun around and saw Hanamiya looking lazily at Kagami, greasy hair hanging in front of his eyes. "Don't you dare hurt any more of my teammates." His fists were clenched at his sides and he could tell he was near shaking. "I've had enough of this," Hyuuga's voice grew quiet and cold, knowing that wasting energy on yelling would do him as good now as it had two years ago.

Hanamiya put a hand on his chest. "I'm offended. You accuse us and yet you have no proof."

"If it hadn't been for that guy blocking the ref I would have all the proof I need-"

Hanamiya sneered. "So what? I'm always telling you, whether it's genius or prodigy, once it's broken, it's just garbage. I simply enjoy watching people suffer, it really isn't all that complicated, four eyes."

Hyuuga faintly was aware of Kiyoshi calling his name, and he stalked off, muttering to himself. "Damn, conceited, self-obsessed, injure my teammates..."

"Oh and four eyes," Hyuuga turned halfway around, eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched. "Your Iron Heart isn't here to protect you anymore. You're completely vulnerable, open. I just thought you should know." Hyuuga couldn't take another second, and fled to the bench in a march of rage. He was red in the face and shaking and wanted nothing more than to get back into the game to vent his frustrations. The sooner the better, in fact.


	3. I Can't Be Your Shield

"Kagami, are you alright?"

The redhead nodded and pinched his nose, attempting to ease the blood flow, tilting his head backwards, his face paler than usual. Kuroko was looking at him in concern. "I'm fine. What the hell are the refs doing out there though, how did they not see that?" There was a smear of red starting at Kagami's nose and going down over his lips and dripping down his chin, onto his jersey.

Kiyoshi appeared grim. "They have a player who, it appears, only serves to block the referee's vision." _Just like last year_ echoed through Hyuuga's thoughts although it wasn't said aloud. "They're not leaving many spots open. You sure you're okay, Kagami?"

He nodded. "Once it stops bleeding coach, put me back in."

Riko gave a tight smile in understanding, and Kiyoshi handed Kagami and Kuroko their water bottles. Huffing past them, Hyuuga marched over to the benches, irritably snatching up his water bottle, taking two large gulps, and slamming it back down. He spared a glance at the scoreboard and grimaced- 21 to 18 for Kirisaki Daiichi. "What happened?" Kiyoshi asked lightly. The first years looked up in interest.

"Why were you talking with him, Hyuuga-kun?" Kuroko asked. Hyuuga didn't say anything for a few moments.

The Captain looked down at his shoes, not trusting himself to accidentally make eye contact with anyone. "He doesn't even care about the game at all- he's blocking the ref! Well I'll show him, if he thinks he can do whatever he wants to my teammates…" Kiyoshi put a hand on his shoulder, only for Hyuuga to shake it off and Kiyoshi persistently rest his hand on his Captain's arm once more.

"Hyuuga," he said patiently. The man grunted but didn't move away.

Riko blew her whistle to get everybody to settle down, drowning out all other surrounding sound. "Alright, alright, now listen, this goes for everyone- you cannot let them rile you up. I know they're playing dirty, they're standing on your feet and elbowing and kicking but you can't lose your heads! That's how you lose focus, and then you will not be able to win the game. If all of you are so blinded by anger that you cannot think properly, then you will make stupid mistakes, and I will not hesitant to take you out!"

Hyuuga and Kagami both paled, but remained silent. The second and third years knew this is what had happened with Hyuuga the year prior and they had almost lost the game without his three pointers. After a moment, the tension in the room seemed to dissintegrate the slightest amount. They had a breather, but then they would be going right back in. Riko smiled slightly, seeing her point had been made. "Alright, now get back out there!"

The team gathered around, hollering their cheer as they marched back out onto the court as the buzzer blew. Soon, the ball was in the air once again, and Mitobe jumped for it, clutching it in his hand and passing it to his right to Koga, who had subbed in for Kagami. Hyuuga ran down the sideline, trying to out maneuver Kazuya, he saw Izuki doing the same with Kentaro. Furuhashi was tight on Kuroko, preventing the smaller boy to do anything. Koga dribbled the ball, passing it to Izuki who caught it, only for Kentaro to descend on him and try to snatch the ball away. Izuki dashed to his right, then left, then left again rapidly, only to see not a single pass was open. Hyuuga made a dash behind his teammate. "Izuki, here-" Hyuuga had the breath knocked out of him when Kazuya jabbed his elbow into the bespeckled boy's stomach. Izuki hesitated for a second, seeing his friend double over slightly, before passing the ball only for Hanamiya to jump in between the play and steal the ball away, dribbling down the court. Koga ran up to him, only for Hanamiya to spin around him, jumping into his teardrop shot, and there was nothing Seirin could do about the ball slipping through the net.

Kiyoshi watched from the sidelines, swaying from foot to foot nervously. He continued to hand Kagami tissues absentmindedly as he watched the plays continue. He had been so certain that Hanamiya meant to go after Hyuuga, but now he was having second thoughts, upon further inspection of Kagami, the redhead had quite a few bruises covering his legs, as if he had been kicked. "Kagami, if you think they're targeting you, promise you'll come off, right?" He dared glance away from the play as Izuki was struggling to find a pass.

Kagami huffed. "They're not targeting me- they're just standing on my feet-"

"Which would definitely cause a bloody nose."

If the situation had been any different, Kagami would have been very concerned at Kiyoshi's use of sarcasm. "Uh- well- it's different! When they were going after you last year, everyone knew- this was just an offhanded thing. It's happening to everyone," Kagami's voice was muffled slightly due to the many tissues pressed against his face. "Ah damn-" Kiyoshi turned around just as Hanamiya scored. Kuroko ran to the sideline and picked up the ball, passing it to Izuki. Kiyoshi shuddered at the familiarity of the situation as Izuki's pass was once again intercepted by Hanamiya. Everyone else had been cutting to get open, but with Kuroko guarded so tightly preventing him from moving, and everyone else being trailed by their marks as if they were caught on leashes, it was nearly impossible. Even Kiyoshi had to admit that Hanamiya was an exceptional player, even if his methods were wrong.

'Next year, I'll crush all of you.' Kiyoshi didn't want to mull over Hanamiya's departing words from last year any more, but they kept coming back. Was this his goal? To injure as many people as possible? If he spread out his attacks, then no one person could get seriously hurt, right? Maybe that was a good thing- he would prefer that anyways than one serious injury. Bruises would heal, a bloody nose would stop bleeding. Broken bones was another matter entirely.

Kiyoshi watched Hanamiya curiously, wincing every time the coach and captain of kirisaki daiichi elbowed Izuki when the ref wasn't looking. He was proud of Seirin's eagle eye holder though, he wasn't fighting back, just running, trying to avoid the attacks, and playing clean. The Iron Heart wasn't too worried about his teammates losing their cool, except for maybe Kagami and Hyuuga who had tempers to rival their coach's. If only they could have a breakaway, maybe have Kagami enter the zone, then Kiyoshi could breath again. When he was confined to the bench like this he felt as if he was trapped, bound to the sidelines and unable to help his teammates. He couldn't be their shield like last time. He couldn't be the unmovable Iron Heart in the center, couldn't jump in front of Hyuuga to save him, he could only watch. And it was driving him mad.

"Yeah Kuroko!" Kagami's sudden scream ripped Kiyoshi from his thought process, and terrified him for half a second. His immediate thought being that Kuroko had been hurt, but once he looked at the court he saw the shadow player out maneuvering Kentaro with his vanishing drive, dribbling the ball down the court and making a quick pass to Hyuuga, who, despite grimacing when catching the ball, made a three pointer almost immediately. The sideline erupted in cheers and Kiyoshi just smiled. A part of him ached to be out on the field again, but seeing his friend's happiness was enough for the moment.

Hanamiya's face contorted in anger for half a second as he made eye contact with Kiyoshi on the sidelines. Kiyoshi returned the gaze with a stoic expression, feeling as if Hanamiya blamed him for for Seirin catching up. Then, as quickly as the exchange began it was gone, and Kiyoshi felt his shoulders slump Hanamiya was angry, and they had to be ready.

"Alright come on offense!" Hanamiya cheered, as the ball was passed from Kazuya to Hanamiya to Kentaro. Hyuuga ran up to meet him only for the taller boy to ram into him with his shoulder as Kazuya blocked the ref.

"Hyuuga be careful!" Riko yelled at Kiyoshi's side. Hyuuga stumbled but quickly ran back to Seirin's side of the court. Kiyoshi followed Kentaro's gaze as the man spotted Furuhashi on the outside and passed the ball to him.

Kiyoshi's stomach dropped at the sight of the open player, but a speck of blue rushing into the middle of the pass brought a small smile to his worried face. Kuroko got the ball, but suddenly stopped when not a single pass was open, he stood there, dribbling and looking around frantically. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi and Koga and Mitobe- they were all marked. But he himself was open, Kiyoshi watched as the smallest player dribbled forward, twice, three times, four times.

Kagami jumped to his feet wordlessly and stared, tissues forgotten on the bench. Hanamiya dove in front of Kuroko, looming over the boy and he immediately took half a step back, going into his vanishing drive. _It's alright,_ Kiyoshi reminded himself. It's ok, he'll get by Hanamiya and then Hyuuga and Izuki will run down the sidelines, just like they did in practice- a cry from the middle of the court made Kiyoshi freeze, and he could only watch in shock as Kuroko was propelled forward, a popping sound emanating across the stadium as he skidded across the court on his shoulder before tumbling to a halt, clutching his ankle.


	4. I Promise

Once the pop echoed across the stadium, Hyuuga skidded to a stop, spinning on his heel in time to see the orange ball bounce from pale hands, the thud of the basketball being the only sound in the stadium other than startled gasps and Kuroko's heavy breathing. Hyuuga's stomach jumped into his throat and he suddenly couldn't inhale properly. But it wasn't like he was winded- no it was like something was blocking his airway. Without taking the time to process what just happened, knowing it was futile, his legs carried him over to the small blue haired boy on their own accord. He hadn't realized that it was him, himself, who had yelled the ex phantom player's name until the sound had already left his lips. His knees burned as he skidded along the court to get to the boy, who was clutching his ankle, face contorted in pain. Seirin's Captain realized he hadn't even waited to see if the ref blew his whistle or not, and looking back on it he could only be grateful that the ref had. Hyuuga muttered and stammered, unable to form any full sentences until he took in a deep breath. "Kuroko," he glanced the boy over once, his eyes settling on an already swollen ankle which was reddening around his sock.

"Sorry captain. I- I don't know if I can walk. I'm sorry. I-" Kuroko's breath hitched in his throat and his eyebrows furrowed together, knuckles whitening as he clutched his ankle. Hyuuga wasn't even aware that Izuki, Koga, Mitobe, and Kagami were all huddled around as well- and he vaguely realized that Kagami no longer had a bloody nose. Out of the corner of his eye Hyuuga saw Riko and Kiyoshi start walk over, with Riko doing everything in her power not to break into a jog and Kiyoshi hobbling faster than everyone would like. The iron Heart's face was pale but his chin was held high. Hyuuga knew that this was all too familiar, but Kiyoshi had always been the one taking the blows, never able to see the scene from the outside. A thin layer of moisture was forming under Kuroko's eyes and his cheeks were turning a faint pink as he bit down on hip lip, letting out a harsh hiss as he tried to stand up.

Hyuuga took in a shuddering breath and saw the lanky form of Hanamiya standing on the side, surveying the scene. The urge to scream suddenly overwhelmed him- a massive surge of adrenaline went through his body and he bounded to his feet. "Hanamiya!" Hyuuga didn't even waste a beat in pulling his fist back but two tan arms wrapped around his middle, affectively binding his arms to his sides.

"Hyuuga please don't do this. You'll get thrown out of the game," Hyuuga could feel the breath of Kiyoshi's words against his ear and he tensed for many moments. He could feel his pulse in his tired legs and had to wait for his breathing to slow. He breathed in, out, in, and out. His eyes never left Hanamiya's mocking smile. One corner of the Kirisaki Daiichi's Captain's mouth twitched upwards, his eyes gleaming as he suddenly plastered a concerned frown on his face, his smile morphing into a mask of worry. Finally, Hanamiya turned around and walked back to his bench where his teammates were in wake, all conversing amongst themselves in hushed tones. Hyuuga's shoulders relaxed and he stumbled backwards into Kiyoshi as the taller man changed his death grip into a hug and rested his forehead on the smaller man's shoulder.

"Idiot get off of me," but Hyuuga's protests were weak as Kagami and Mitobe scooped Kuroko up and helped him limp off to the bench as the ref signaled a time out. Seirin's Captain could feel the jeering eyes of the Kirisaki Daiichi players on him while he was caught in the compromising position. But, Kiyoshi was on the verge of a mental breakdown, Hyuuga could tell. Kiyoshi had told everyone that he came back to protect the members of Seirin, and now, here he was, so close to being back on the court and yet so far. Hanamiya had been right, their Iron Heart was gone. Kiyoshi couldn't protect them, and he couldn't do what he came back for. He couldn't come back at all, not now, and not ever again. "Kiyoshi," Hyuuga said calmly, and Kiyoshi's arms slackened and fell to his sides, and Hyuuga stepped away before turning around. Kiyoshi's face was red as a beat and his fingers twitchy. He wasn't smiling nor standing still- he shuffled slightly, but constantly favored his good leg. The constant movement in and of itself was an anomaly, since Kiyoshi was normally so stoic on the outside, but always calculating and up to something. Now he just looked lost, unsure of himself and his purpose here.

Seirin's Captain wasn't good with comforting people, but he forced a grim smile onto his face all the same. It was the Captain's job to take on the responsibilities of the team, after all. "It'll be okay, Teppei." The initial use of their given names rather than family ones had been an awkward transition for Hyuuga, but it had began sometime during the winter cup. He wasn't sure exactly where the change had occurred, all he knew was that it had, and if they used their given names with each other from time to time no one said anything. They were friends, brothers; it was a sign of respect and a mutual understanding or hardships overcome. "I won't let them injure anyone else. I- I promise. I know you can't be out there- but I'll do what I can. No one else will have to stop playing early." Hyuuga knew he should be checking up on Kuroko, he had to make sure his teammates were alright, but there was only one of him. And at that moment Kiyoshi needed him more.

Kiyoshi smiled lightly down at the clutch shooter. "I didn't do that just to stop _you_ from punching Hanamiya, you know. I can't start any activity other than walking for another few weeks." Hyuuga gave a dry chuckle once the meaning of the words enveloped him.

Before Hyuuga could continue back to the bench to check on Kuroko, the refs blew the whistle to end the timeout. The game continued, with Kagami back in for Koga and Furi was in for Kuroko. The rest of the half was uneventful, with Hyuuga's handful of three pointers and Kagami's few dunks earning Seirin their only points, ending the half with a score of 33 to 26. If they were faster and more powerful than average, they didn't question it. Hanamiya and the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi didn't dare try anything else in the same quarter, but that eased no one's thoughts or worries. The sudden lack of calamity made them all more on edge. The crowd was roaring and their teammates were cheering them on from the bench, all the same, so they powered through. Once the left the court for halftime Hyuuga could tell that Furi was nearly at his end, and he made a mental note to switch Furi and Koga at the beginning of the third quarter.

"Alright everyone, let's go to the locker room," Riko spoke out. Hyuuga glanced down at Kuroko who was laying across a part of the bench with his ankle propped up by the first aid kit and an ice pack tied around his ankle with cellophane wrap.

Hyuuga knelt down next to Kuroko. "Hey. Want help?"

Kuroko glanced at him for a few moments, his face was paler now but his eyebrows were furrowed with a look of concern. Hyuuga frowned, "don't be scared for us. Respect your seniors," he managed with a hint of a smile, "we know what we're doing." The Phantom Sixth Man's frown inched upwards slightly and the tension of his muscles relaxed.

Finally, Kuroko sat up and set his legs on the ground, albeit hesitantly. He wrapped one arm around Hyuuga's shoulders and one around Kagami's as the pair escorted him to the locker room. The first step Kuroko took on his injured ankle caused him to crumple and the Captain and the Ace got a tighter grip on him. "Don't walk on it, Kuroko," Kagami said lightly. The blue haired boy nodded.

Once they arrived at the locker room everyone else was already sitting down, grim expressions on their faces as they saw the trio walk into the room. Kiyoshi stood up and motioned to where he was sitting, and Hyuuga and Kagami deposited Kuroko there. Kiyoshi knelt down next to him and began asking him how he was feeling in a soft voice, looking even more like a father than normal. "It's ok. I don't think it's broken, just a really bad roll. Coach-"

Riko glared at him sharply, though Hyuuga could tell her anger wasn't directed at Kuroko. "If you think I'm putting you back in, Kuroko, you're crazy. We can manage without you for the rest of the game. You focus on getting better. We can't risk worsening it."

Hyuuga's nodded in understanding- the game would be even more challenging without Kuroko there, but he agreed with Riko's reasoning. Letting out a sigh he rolled his shoulders backwards and cracked his neck. "Come on, you're not the only capable one of this team, you know. We have your back." The younger players looked over to him with some type of awe in their eyes which made Hyuuga uncomfortable, and he was forced to turn his gaze to the floor.

"Alright," their Coach said evenly. "Everyone, we need to pick up the pace. They're quickly gaining the lead, and with Kuroko out you're all going to have to play as hard as you possibly can to win this match. That means more running, more moving for passes, more blocking, we cannot afford to let them get any more breakaways."

"Can I switch out, Coach?" Furi still was breathing hard, and Riko frowned.

"Yeah, Koga, can you go in?" He nodded confidently.

Hyuuga took a gulp of water. "Guys, get the ball to Kagami and me. I can get three pointers in, and Kagami can get the dunks. I think-"

The door flew open without warning or so much as a knock, but was caught before it could hit the back wall. Hyuuga, who was facing the door from where he sat in the far side of the locker room staggered at the site that greeted him. The same one that made everyone's eyes wide, everyone except Kuroko, that is, who had a passive expression as per usual, and didn't hesitate to greet their guest. "Hello, Akashi-kun." Hyuuga felt like he was going to be sick.

The Captain of Rakuzan was quick to kneel next to Kiyoshi and in front of Kuroko. "Are you alright, Tetsu? Is your ankle broken?" Although Hyuuga could tell that his words meant to be watchful and concerned, there was no worry woven within his tone. They were strong, hard as stone, and it was unquestionable whether or not he would receive an answer.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes, Akashi-kun. It's just a bad roll. I'll be fine. I'll be able to play again."

Akashi merely blinked, and for a moment Hyuuga just stared at those different colored eyes. The same eyes that terrified, and had brought him and his players to their knees during the Winter Cup. The same eyes that led the Generation of Miracles. The same eyes he had met last year when they had shook hands after Seirin won the match. Hyuuga felt a chill run down his spine as Rakuzan's captain stood up and faced him. "Keep playing. I will not tolerate you losing this match. But you all have to pick up the pace, you're all slow and sloppy. Don't let Kuroko get hurt again or there will be consequences. I refuse to sit quietly if his teammates cannot properly take care of him."

Kagami sprang up. "Now you listen here, we're perfectly capable-"

"It does not appear like you are. Or do you want me to nearly stab your eye out again?" Was that a hint of a grin on Akashi's face? If there was, it was gone in a second, for if Hyuuga had blinked he would have missed it.

The Clutch Shooter had to fight the urge to ask what that comment was about, but seeing Kagami pale Hyuuga decided later would be a better time. "We'll beat them. I won't let anyone else be injured."

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Hyuuga once more. "Can you promise that? It's already a shame that you lost one player." He glanced at Kiyoshi and the Iron Heart met his gaze evenly. Akashi nodded at him and turned back to Hyuuga, his gaze steady, unwavering.

Seirin's Captain nodded. "I won't let any of my teammates get hurt." He said without hesitation, never looking away from Akashi nor allowing himself to think about exactly what he was promising. "You can hold me to that."

"Do you mean it?" Hyuuga suddenly felt very small. Like the man in front of him was his own father and not someone many inches shorter and a year younger than him. "Are you willing to take the blow for them, if necessary? Because if you aren't, you might as well give up now."

That thought alone made Hyuuga's head bow and jaw clench. He didn't look anywhere else but at Akashi, because he knew if he did then his resolve would break. Izuki wouldn't say anything, just look on, as if he was watching something for the last time. Kuroko would do much the same thing. Kagami would yell, but Hyuuga didn't want any more headaches for the day. Riko would be crying at the thought of losing yet another player. Kiyoshi would be shaking his head, unable to accept that Hyuuga was having to take his place. But Hyuuga didn't care if Kiyoshi didn't want him here. He didn't care what the Iron Heart thought, at all. This was what Hyuuga knew he was supposed to do, and he would keep his promise. As a Captain, he had a responsibility to his team and a reputation to uphold.

Then he looked up again, chin raised higher than before and his mind made up. "Yes, I am."

"Good." Akashi glanced down at Kuroko once, told him to take care, and made his way to the door but stopped short of it. "We'll take care of them later. I already had to stop Daiki from doing something reckless. Just win the game." Then he fled, slipping through the doorway silently just as the one minute warning for the third quarter rang out.


	5. On The Edge Of Something

**5**

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading. Sorry for my length between updates, but I've been really busy. With that in mind, although I don't want to rush the story, I'm trashing a few of the filler chapters I had originally planned to write. I just would like to finish the story, especially since I typically write one-shots, I would like to be able to say I've finished and uploaded a short story. And after I finish, I'll be going back through to fix any typos. Any feedback is welcome and thanks for sticking with me. Reviews are always appreciated. **

It was silent in the locker room for a few moments as Akashi walked out, until finally Kiyoshi sighed and the tension in the room seemed to fade away. "You guys have to get back out there. Relax, you guys got this." Hyuuga nodded and stretched, pulling his right arm over his chest, letting it fall to his side, and then stretching his left arm. Hyuuga walked over to Kuroko and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Stay here if you want, or come back out. But keep off your ankle, keep it elevated and icing it. Get better soon." Kuroko nodded but said nothing. He could hear Kuroko talking to Kagami in a soft voice as he left, and figured the two friends would want a few moments to themselves.

When they got back out onto the court, Hyuuga was almost startled by the cheers of the crowd. He had been so focused on the game that he had almost forgotten that they had an audience to watch the game. He wondered if they realized what Kirisaki Daiichi was doing. The Generation of Miracles knew, Akashi had made that obvious, but did the everyday person know? He doubted it and that alone made him sick. It wasn't as if it was their fault, but Hyuuga thought that everyone should realize what Hanamiya and his team was doing, but obviously, that wasn't going to happen.

Everyone gathered around and Hyuuga cracked his neck, letting out a long, low breath. "Alright. You all know I'm shitty at speeches or whatever, so let's just get out there and kick ass. They deserve it. Stay focused, we have the Generation of Miracles breathing down our necks now. We can do this. Don't play cheap, if anything weird seems to be happening, yell. I'm not letting any of you get hurt, so don't let that fear hold you back from playing." Kagami dashed over to the group just as the team gave their cheer.

Koga, Hyuuga, Kagami, Izuki, and Mitobe walked onto the court. Kentaro grinned as he dashed over to watch Kagami and Furuhashi immediately marked Izuki. Hara loomed over Mitobe and the mute boy's eyes widened. Yamazaki was about two arms lengths away from Koga but Hyuuga knew that his job was to mainly blind the ref. Hyuuga's fists clenched when he saw Hanamiya was marking him, but wasn't surprised. He had been expecting this for a while. He swallowed thickly as Daiichi's captain and coach loomed ever so closer, not allowing for Hyuuga to have any room to move.

The ref threw the ball into the air and Kagami and Kentaro both jumped for it, with Kagami's height and jumping advantage working in his favor as he got the ball, tucked it away and passed it off to Mitobe. Hyuuga dashed forward and Izuki ran in behind him in an effort to screen Hanamiya, only for the eagle eye to be shoved to the side. The boy let out a small cry but continued running, Hyuuga didn't have much time to check anything else. Hyuuga ran up, catching Mitobe's pass. Hyuuga dribbled down the line and Hanamiya slipped in front of him. He remembered a moment very similar the previous year where he had ultimately lost the ball- and he was determined to not allow for that to happen again. He dribbled and saw Kagami cutting in front of him, but Kentaro was hot on his heels and continued to stand on the redhead's feet. Hyuuga faked down the line and dove left, only to see a pale hand lash out and hit the ball away sharply. His eyes widened as he sprinted back, cursing him foolishness Hyuuga continued after Hanamiya, his stamina training paying off in his ability to keep up with him but not enough to surpass him. Kagami ran in front of Hanamiya as he jumped backwards into a teardrop shot, only for Seirin's ace to knock the ball down out of the air and into Izuki's waiting hands.

Izuki dribbled down the court, passing the ball to Koga, who passed to Kagami, then the ball went back to Koga once more. "See Mitobe," Hyuuga hollered as he ran in towards the right side of the three point line. Hanamiya dashed in front of him, partially blocking his vision. There was a flash of orange as the ball was thrown to Mitobe. Soon the ball was passed towards Hyuuga and Hanamiya reached for it- seemingly too slow- as he tried to catch the ball out of the air but missed, his elbow swinging backwards into Hyuuga's chest as his arm reached backwards. Hyuuga coughed and staggered over, barely managing to latch onto the ball with one hand. After a moment he stood up straight again, his chest aching where Hanamiya had hit him. He faked towards the center and took in a deep breath, his chest stinging slightly as he jumped into a three point shot. The ball flew through the net and Yamazaki grabbed it, walking off the sideline and passing it to Furuhashi. Hyuuga glared at Hanamiya as their roles changed, with Hyuuga guarding Hanamiya and following him around the court as he tried to get open.

Furuhashi passed the ball to Kentaro and Hanamiya ran down the sideline. Kagami dove to stop Hanamiya but he dribbled around him quickly and jumped into another three point shot despite Seirin's ace's attempt to block him. Mitobe took the ball and ran off the sideline. He passed the ball to Koga and the youngest boy on the court was forced to halt as Yamazaki marked him. He dribbled twice and Hyuuga cut towards the center seeing as Hanamiya continued to watch the sideline. Hanamiya followed after him and Hyuuga felt a familiar surge of adrenaline. He needed to get the ball and raise the score. It was 36 to 29, and at the rate they were going Seirin wasn't going to pull ahead any time soon. Absentmindedly Hyuuga wondered if this was what Kagami felt like when he entered the zone, only multiplied one hundred times over. The ball was passed to Hyuuga and he eyes Hanamiya, he saw a flash of red as Kagami cut in front of him. Hyuuga dribbled the ball forward, jerking halfway around Hanamiya before jumping into a three point shot. The ball slipped through the net and Hara grabbed it. Hyuuga turned and marked Hanamiya closely, he was waiting for something. He wasn't sure what, but Hyuuga knew that Hanamiya had a trick up his sleeve. Serin's captain kept a close eye the Crownless General. He must be waiting to give a signal at the proper time, but Hyuuga wasn't going to allow that to happen. If Kiyoshi couldn't be the team's shield, then Hyuuga would be.

Furuhashi dashed down the line and Izuki stumbled. Hyuuga's eyes widened as the eagle eye limped a bit but sprinted to catch up, but too slowly as Kirisaki Daiichi scored another point. It was 38 to 29 now.

Koga took the ball off the sideline and Hyuuga took the risk of running over to Kagami, with Hanamiya close on his heels. But he didn't care if the greasy haired man could hear their conversation, in fact, he hopped he did. Maybe it would make him nervous and mess up. Kentaro watched Hyuuga curiously as Koga struggled to find a pass, and finally threw it to Izuki. "Kagami you have to enter the zone." Hyuuga turned and tried to get past Hanamiya but the pan stepped on his foot and he winced. Kagami moved forward but was screened by Yamazaki. Izuki finally passed the ball sideways to Mitobe who threw it to Koga as he ran down the line.

"I'm trying. I can't focus-" Kagami muttered and Hyuuga cursed Hanamiya inwardly.

"Mitobe here!" Hyuuga ran towards the back corner of the court and Mitobe threw the ball to his captain, only for Hanamiya to slip in front of the play and dribble back down the court with it. Kagami ran up to him and Hyuuga raced after the pair, keeping an eye on Kentaro who was cutting towards the center. Kagami put both of his hands up, preventing Hanaiya from shooting, and Hyuuga came in from behind, stretching his hand out and knocking it from Hanamiya's grasp. A swell of pride went through Hyuuga knowing that he had done such a feat, but he had no time to celebrate at the moment. Hanamiya's eyes seemed to spark as he looked at Hyuuga. The boy tucked the ball in and dribbled down the court, faking to the outside and cutting inward, making a three point shot. He cracked his neck and took a step back to guard Hanamiya, who was breathing almost as heavily as Hyuuga. Hanamiya jammed an elbow into Hyuuga's gut as Yamazaki cut to screen the ref and Hyuuga coughed but didn't double over as badly as last time. He shoved Hanamiya forward with his shoulder to prevent him from stepping on his foot, but the other captain just leaned back more, digging his elbow into Hyuuga's chest as the bespeckled boy attempted to keep Hanamiya at bay without fouling. He had a bad enough scare at the Rakuzan game regarding fouls when he battled Mibuchi, he wasn't going to allow for a repeat of that. Another elbow collided with his stomach and Hyuuga's chest stung slightly as he breathed in, grasping as his shirt until his knuckles turned white, as if it would dull the pain any.

As the clock ticked on, Hyuuga wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to keep up the three point shots. His stamina was excellent, but the emotional stress of having to watch after his teammates was taking it's toll. He gave a sidelong glance at Seirin's ace. He needed Kagami to enter the zone before his exhaustion took over.


	6. Shredded Words

**A/N: Wow I'm shocked at how many followers I have for this story so far! Thanks so much for the support guys. Reviews, favorites and follows are always appreciated. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it! Yikes it's getting closer to the end!**

**Updated 11/25/14 I changed the ending because I thought it was unrealistic. **

They needed a spark. Hyuuga knew that much. If Kagami didn't have something to force him into the zone, then he wasn't sure if Seirin was going to make it through. He owed this to Kiyoshi, they had to beat Kirisaki Daiichi. Hyuuga wouldn't allow for Seirin to fall just because Kiyoshi wasn't there to support and shield them. Kagami had hardly made any dunks, it was reminiscent of the game last year with his three pointers. Hyuuga felt confident in his three pointers for the time being, possibly for the remaining of the third quarter, but eventually his energy would begin to run low, and he would get sloppier. It wasn't a loss of physical energy, Seirin's captain was emotionally stretched more than anything else, like a poor man's wallet.

He was tiring, and he had no idea what to do.

Kiyoshi had long since given up on checking on Kuroko. Seirin's smallest member continuously resorted to nodding with mute replies as he watched the game. Kiyoshi could see the boy wince every so often as the ice would shift on his ankle as it melted, causing him varying degrees of discomfort. However, Teiko's ex-phantom showed no other form on pain other than those minescule ones that Kiyoshi often recognized from his own mannerisms. Thankfully, the trainer had came over and said that Kuroko had nothing more than a nasty roll, and after staying off of it for about a week and a half he should be ready to play again, as long as he took it easy. Kiyoshi's jaw had nearly hit the floor when Kuroko had rolled his eyes as the trainer said the last bit. Of course the boy wouldn't stay off the court for any longer than necessary.

As the third quarter started, Kiyoshi took in a sharp breath. Riko rubbed his arm and he relaxed his shoulders slightly. "It'll be alright. He'll be fine." She was staring nervously, eyes narrowed and chewing on her bottom lip, staring at the same thing Kiyoshi was. Hanamiya was marking Hyuuga and it made Kiyoshi sick. Hanamiya continued to elbow the captain in the chest and stomach and Hyuuga doubled over, stood up straight again, somehow got the ball and made a basket. However, Yamazaki, Furuhashi, Kentaro, or Hara would get the ball and run off the sideline, passing to someone and making a play down the court. Kagami was doing a good job of blocking, but Kirisaki Daiichi had improved and was tricky, often screening Seirin roughly and squeezing their way under Seirin's net and eventually scoring. Then Seirin would get the ball and the process would start all over again. Time was fading fast, and Kagami had only scored one dunk in the quarter. The scoreboard showed 49 to to 43. Kirisaki was having better luck at dunking than shooting threes, and if the gameplay continued then Seirin would be able to overtake the the Iron Heart had a feeling in his gut that made him uneasy, and he couldn't shake it. Kagami wasn't focusing all the way, Hyuuga was spending more time bent over than right way up, Izuki was limping and Mitobe and Koga were worse for wear.

Glancing backwards at the bench, Kiyoshi saw Kuroko was still laying there, ankle elevated. Furi was still slightly pink in the face but his breathing was no longer labored. The three first years, Rin, Itsuki, and Yamoto, had varying degrees of concern, shock, and anger plastered to their faces Rin, who was nearly an inch taller than Kuroko and even more scrawny, was wide eyed with his mouth falling open slightly, making his baby face seem even younger. Kiyoshi remembered he was the one who had inquired about wearing mouth guards before the game started. Itsuki saw there emotionless, staring on at the court in anxious anticipation. His twin brother Yamoto was red in the face and had his fists clenched. "Why isn't the ref doing anything, Kiyoshi-senpai? Can't he see they're trying to hurt them?"

Kiyoshi shook his head, and flexed his knee as it was beginning to stiffen up once more. "You see the red head? His name is Yamazaki, he blocks the ref so the other players can do what they want, without the official seeing. It's not that the refs are biased, they're just being screened so they can't see the foul until it's already too late."

Yamoto's carmel eyebrows furrowed, and Kiyoshi was reminded of Yukio Kasamatsu, the captain of Kaijo High. "That's messed up."

The Iron Heart opted not to reply, seeing as he was unable to trust his own words.

Kiyoshi shifted from foot to foot as Kagami finally got the ball, Kentaro had barely missed in intercepting the pass but finally their ace had received the ball. Kagami dribbled roughly towards the inside of the court, Hyuuga and Izuki waited on the outsides for a pass and Mitobe ran in behind their ace. Kagami dribbled forward, reaching the free throw line and forcing himself into a leap toward the hoop. Kentaro was quick to follow, jumping up next to him, but falling justt short. Kagami continued onwards, in mid air, until his hand jammed the ball through the hoop. The red head hung off the hoop for a few moments before releasing it, a metal spring sound ringing out for a moment as his feet hit the court. His face was red and eyes closed, hands resting on his knees. Kiyoshi knew Kagami was trying so hard, he was putting all of his being into entering the zone, but the boy had never entered the zone when playing against a team without a former Teiko player on it. This was a new gate for Seirin's ace, and Kiyoshi was fearing what the outcome would be. Kagami ran outwards to mark Kentaro and stumbled as the man elbowed him. Kiyoshi's heart hammered in his chest as if he was out on the court, feeling the stress as if it was his own.

Forcing down a deep, calming breath, Kiyoshi turned around. Facing the blue haired boy, he noticed that Kuroko had propped himself up on his elbows and was watching the game intently, eyes narrowed slightly and a look of pure fascination and focus painted over his features. The boy's pupils danced left and right, watching not the ball but his teammates, each and every little movement. Kiyoshi admired him but with slight concern. It reminded him of the red head sitting five rows behind the Seirin bench. He glanced up at Akashi for a moment and then shook his head. The captain of the Generation of Miracles was watching the game just as intently, but with seemingly less strain. The look of unblinking observation unwavering and effortless, whereas Kuroko appeared to be near pain. The crowd was getting rowdier as the third quarter came closer and closer to a clone, Kirisaki Daiichi still had the lead, but only just. Seirin could catch up. Kiyoshi still had faith, but the hypnosis of the blue haired boy in front of him was making his stomach churn.

"Hey, Kuroko are you alright? What's up?" Kiyoshi couldn't focus much on the sound of his own voice, instead the squeaking of basketball shoes on the court had captivated his attention. The yells and heavy breathing of the Seirin team filled his ears. The even thought of turning from the court was causing him unease.

Kuroko didn't even blink. "I'm using my emperor eye."

The Iron Heart was taken aback, and furrowed his brows together. "It's similar to Akashi's right? Like you can see the next move the others will make?"

"No." Kuroko's voice was soft and distant, like he wasn't fully in the moment. "I can't see everyone. Just my teammates-" Kuroko whimpered and tried to jump up, only causing the bench he was perched on to shift backwards and the boy to tumble to the ground, crying out in pain for half a second as arms flailed to grab onto something to stop his fall. He continued to stick his leg up in the air to prevent himself from crushing it beneath his body. There was a craze in his eyes as he craned his neck to keep his eyes on the court from his tangled position on the floor. The boy stared on, watching the court with his mouth open, as if he was halfway through a speech that couldn't be heard. In reality this entire movement took about a second, and Kiyoshi and Riko both turned to grab onto the younger boy and haul him to his feet, but the sheer magnitude of the sound that tore through Kuroko's throat made Kiyoshi cringe and recoil in shock, almost enough so that he couldn't even make out the words.

It hadn't ever been preconceived when Seirin would first hear Kuroko yell in such a manner that didn't appear within his being. His scream sounded like a mangy dog, starved for food and beaten, ridden with fleas and it's only form of communication being pathetic whimpers, but that was only part of it. There was a madness that many hadn't expected Kuroko to possess, there was no sense of time accompanied by the sheer desperation of the sound that ripped out the phantom's throat and across the court, filing the nearby stands with a stunned silence. Of course, these things can't be predicted easily.

"_Captain watch out!"_

These three words alone made Kiyoshi's body whip around, petrified, he scanned the area, anywhere, somewhere, where was he? Finally, the Iron Heart spotted Hyuuga, He was suspended under the net, about to attempt to block a dunk made by Kentaro. Kiyoshi vaguely wondered where Kagami was, seeing as Kentaro was his mark, but he didn't worry about that. The only thing he was focusing on was the sheer panic that Kuroko was in, and why. What had the phantom seen that the Iron Heart couldn't? Hyuuga started to fall, gravity doing its work and Kiyoshi was sure the shot was going to go in. But at the last second Hyuuga's arm shot out and knocked the ball from Kentaro's grasp, the ball flew into the air and bounced off the ground, rolling off the sideline.

Izuki made eye contact with Kiyoshi for a second. "Stop- wait- stop-" Kiyoshi's gut clenched, he has seen something too. What was Kiyoshi missing? It was driving him mad. He looked back at Hyuuga as Kentaro fell. His elbow shot out and collided with Hyuuga's face and Kiyoshi's eyes grew wide. Suddenly it all lined up, everything was the exact same as it had been two years ago. Someone had been about to collide with Hyuuga then and Kiyoshi had swept in and taken the hit for him, but that wasn't possible then. It was too late, Kiyoshi's legs were too weak and the distance between Kiyoshi and Hyuuga was too great. Hyuuga cried out in pain and his hands flew to his face. He stumbled backwards, and Kentaro fell as well, falling on top of the smaller man, sandwiching him between Kentaro and the court floor.

Silence stretched on throughout the stands as Hyuuga hit the court with a thud. The crowd gasped collectively and did nothing, Hanamiya had already grabbed the ball on the sideline before a harsh whistle screeched and the man stopped, clasping the ball to his side. Greasy bangs hung in front of Hanamiya's gaunt face, masking his expression, his free hand reached up to the edge of his jersey and tugged on the collar slightly. Izuki starred at the Kirisaki captain, eyes narrowed and lips pursed together. Kiyoshi realized that Izuki must have seen Hanamiya give some sort of sign. But Kiyoshi was hardly aware of this. His eyes were glued on Seirin's captain, who was sprawled out on the floor, as if he had flopped down on the grass after a long practice, arms and legs straight, as if normal. Kentaro scrambled off of him, and glanced down at him, asking lightly if the boy was alright. Hyuuga's glasses were discarded, somewhere, Kiyoshi didn't care much where. They were probably broken. The only thing he noticed was that the captain looked less harsh and guarded and bitter without them. It was a cruel trick, that one could look so peaceful after taking a hit like that.

Riko had sprinted out onto the court right after the whistle had blown, arriving by Hyuuga mere moments after Izuki and Kagami. Kiyoshi hobbled over, numbly aware of arriving next to the boy but not entirely sure how or when he got there of how much time had passed. The boy had a large bruise over his right eye, and it was already swelling greatly. His jersey had slid up slightly when he fell, and Kiyoshi noticed a handful of bruises on the man's torso as well. He just saw Riko's watery eyes as she shuddered and turned to Kiyoshi, "he's not moving," she mumbled. Hyuuga's eyes remained shut, his expression passive.


	7. Enjoy It, Because We Did

**AN: Alright, here's the last chapter, and the longest one yet! Thanks for the support guys, hopefully you had as much fun reading as I did writing. I'll be going back through sometime to fix any typos I encountered, but that's going to wait until a later date. Reviews, Favorites, and Follows are always appreciated. **

Once he noticed that he had been elbowed and shoved towards the center of the court, too much time had passed for Hyuuga to be able to attempt to squirm his way out. Besides, there was a game going on and he didn't have the time to think of anything but that. Kagami was getting closer to entering the zone, and if only Hyuuga could find a way to keep the second year focused long enough, they might be alright. He continued to play, just like normal, like he wasn't panicking on the inside and like he didn't feel as if his stomach had been propelled upwards into his throat or like his chest had been beaten with a sledge hammer. Izuki had made a shot after receiving a pass from Mitobe. Hara had then taken the ball off the sideline and passed to Yamazaki, who had maneuvered the ball to Hanamiya despite Hyuuga's attempts to steal the ball before it could reach its target. Hanamiya dribbled forward, stopped, jerked right then left. Hyuuga skidded along with him, stumbling slightly as the lanky man attempted to out maneuver him. Then, suddenly, Hanamiya jerked to a stop and bent down into his teardrop shooting position. Not wasting a beat, Hyuuga jumped upwards for a block, only to see nothing jump up to meet him. The second he realized it had been a fake, it was already too late and Hyuuga was airborne. Hanamiya turned and continued to run towards the net hastily, passing it to Kentaro right once he had reached the free throw line. Hyuuga turned and saw Kentaro dribble the ball, and fake a pass. Seirin's captain continued to stay on Hanamiya, marking him tightly as he slid back and forth underneath the net. Kagami ran up to meet Kentaro but the black haired man dribbled around him as Kagami stumbled and tripped over his own two feet, nearly landing face first on the basketball court if he hadn't caught himself. Kentaro dribbled inward and it was clear that he was going in for a dunk. Hyuuga jumped upwards to meet the taller man, knowing that he wasn't tall enough to block the shot, but still having faith that at the very least he might be able to mess up Kentaro's dunk. Hyuuga started to fall first, but swung at the ball last the last possible second and knocked it from the man's hands. He thought he heard someone yell something, in the back of his mind, but couldn't react quickly enough. As soon as his right foot touched the court, a shadow passed over his vision and his forehead throbbed as something forced him backwards. There was the sound of shattering glass and Hyuuga had fallen on the court. He scrunched his eyes shut and he thought he saw a flash of red or white- or some other color that shouldn't be seen behind closed eyes. There was a burst of pain on the back of his head, and the captain thought he had heard yelling of some sort.

Less than a minute after the words that Hyuuga wasn't moving left Riko's mouth, Izuki had hollered over to the sidelines and the two trainers came running over. Kiyoshi stepped back to allow for the man and woman to pass, the pair knelt beside Hyuuga and he saw them pulling back one of his eyelids, attempting to talk to him, only to get no response. Kiyoshi bit down on his lip and turned away, unable to continue looking at the unconscious man before him. Absentmindedly he saw a speck of light on the floor a few feet away and walked over to pick up what he found were Hyuuga's glasses, or what was left of them. The frames were still somewhat in place, but the lenses were shattered, with tiny bits and pieces scattered across the court.

"I hope he's alright, I didn't even realize what was going on until it was too late. I thought Kentaro saw him," a voice drawled. Kiyoshi turned and was met with a murky green gaze as Hanamiya starred mockingly back at him, faux concern plastered onto his face. To anyone else, the façade was believable- Hanamiya's eyebrows were knit closely together, he fiddled with his hands as he stood, off to the side, out of the way yet peering into the crowd that had now gathered around Hyuuga.

The Iron Heart opened his mouth to reply, knowing very well that he had to be the one to keep the peace. This man has ruined his basketball career, but Kiyoshi knew that Hyuuga would hate it if Seirin had to throw the game because someone was stupid enough to throw a punch. He wasn't called the Iron Heart for nothing, Kiyoshi always, against most people's better judgment, seen nothing but good in people until they gave him a reason to think otherwise. Hanamiya had given him many reasons, but even then Kiyoshi was never a physically or verbally aggressive person. He preferred a passive approach, but above all else to stay out of conflict all together. This didn't merely apply to himself, but to his friends as well. He would keep his friends from violence and danger if possible, by putting the attention onto himself. Kiyoshi had long since noticed a trend in bad people, everyone from school yard bullies to murderers, that if someone sucked it up and took it, didn't fight back, that infuriated the antagonist more than anything. Then they would get sloppy, and Kiyoshi would find an opening to get himself and the ones he cared about out of harm's way. This was his way of life, the way he continued on.

The opposite, of course, could be said for Kagami.

The second the red head threw a punch in Hanamiya's direction, Izuki had jumped on his back, grasping onto Kagami's arm, trying to keep it pulled backwards and away from the bad boy, the eagle eye looked very much like a fish on a string as it was yanked from a pond. The audience gasped as many saw what was coming, a few people on the sidelines jumped to their feet. "Bakagami don't!" However the red head turned, eyes blazing, and shook Izuki off. Kiyoshi, as quickly as he dared, stepped between Kagami and Hanamiya, both hands raised. Kagami stopped in his tracks and starred at their former center.

"What are you doing? He hurt the captain! Why are you defending him?" Kagami was red in the face and Kiyoshi had to use all of his willpower simply to not allow Kagami to pass. He thought he heard a low chuckle from behind him but opted to ignore it.

Kiyoshi's fists clenched- the boy may have aged a year but he was still as selfish and rash as ever. "Think about it Kagami, if you punch Hanamiya, Seirin has to throw the game, how would Hyuuga feel if he finds out that happened?"

Hanamiya's breath felt cold against his shoulder and the gut wrenching feeling that washed over him was nothing in comparison to the sympathy that he felt for Hyuuga. The sympathy followed by sheer terror, like that of a teenager who had told their best friend to text them when they got home safe, yet never received a message. The same terror a father would feel for his son about to be born, yet the doctor had warned of possible complications. The exact same terror that had plagued Kiyoshi many times over as nightmares dances before his vision as he closed his eyes and went to sleep, the images that took over his room and made the desk and wall distort into something utterly horrible, yes unescapable. He had always wondered what made Hanamiya into the man he was, but Kiyoshi wasn't sure he ever wanted to know.

He could sense someone was right behind him, and Kiyoshi froze. "If he waked up soon. It would be a pity if your team had to continue playing without knowing it he's alright or not." Kiyoshi whirled around, his knee screaming in pain at the fast movement, only to see Hyuuga being loaded into a stretcher, still unconscious and apparently unresponsive. Thinking back on it, Kiyoshi didn't know how he had remained conscious when he took a similar hit last year. But, he wasn't called the Iron Heart for nothing. Riko ran over to Kiyoshi and threw her arms around his middle, only then allowing herself to sniffle and sob once.

"They're taking him to the hospital, just in case. They say it might be a concussion or a broken rib, they don't know." Kiyoshi nodded once and stroked Riko's hair. She sniffled but pulled away, putting on a brave face.

The ref blew the whistle and Kiyoshi looked carefully at the rest of Seirin. They all had wide eyed looks about then, furious and guarded. Izuki nearly reeled on the ref. "He's going to the hospital and we still have to finish the game?"

The older man eyed Izuki carefully. "Unless you choose to forfeit-"

No one hesitated. "We'll still play."

The remaining players lined up, Kagami, Izuki, Mitobe, Furi and Koga, ready for the remainder of the third quarter and entirety of the fourth quarter. Kiyoshi took a moment and sat at the bench next to a frowning Kuroko. The boy looked at Hanamiya furiously. The Iron Heart rubbed his eyes, mental exhaustion taking over him. He wanted to go with Hyuuga to the hospital, but he had to be there for the team. He knew that was what Hyuuga would want. "Look." Kuroko spoke up next to Kiyoshi, the typical deadpan in his voice.

Kiyoshi did. Finally, Kagami had a certain spark in his eye.

He was greeted by a blinding white light, starring unforgivingly down at him from a stark white ceiling. There was a faint orange glow coming from his left, but Hyuuga wasn't aware of much other than that. Groaning he started to sit up, only to hesitate after feeling a dull pain in the back of his head. After a moment's pause, the boy sat up only to be greeted by a fuzzy room, he thought he saw the foot of a bed, but it really only appeared to be a white blob. If it hadn't been for the scratchy feeling of cheap sheets beneath him, he wouldn't have been able to tell what he was lying on. There was a brown rectangular blur on his right which he assumed was a door. Was he at a hospital? That's what the strong sterile smell was telling him, anyways. He turned towards his left and his stomach protested, particularly his upper ribcage, but whatever was hurting him wasn't that bad. He saw a brown and white and red blur perched on a fuzzy speck of grey and he squinted.

The blur suddenly lurched forwards and Hyuuga hissed and leaned backwards in surprise. "Hyuuga, I'm so glad you're awake!"

The ignorantly happy voice gave its owner away immediately. "Kiyoshi, what happened? Am I at the hospital? Damn it I can't see a thing!"

The blur that was Kiyoshi moved once more. "Oh, here I have your contact case, it was in your bag at the game." Hyuuga reached towards the portion of the blob that was outstretched towards him and grabbed onto the small round piece of plastic, unscrewed the cap and put his contacts in without a mirror like he had grown accustomed to doing. He winced slightly as his eyes stung and got used to the solution. Blinking, he could now see Kiyoshi, hunched over in a chair against the window, although he realized he could see much better out of one eye than the other- why did one seem to be swollen shut? The sun was just setting and the entire room looked to be more orange and pink than the typical hospital white, and for that much Hyuuga was glad. He never had liked hospitals.

"Where are my glasses?"

Kiyoshi frowned. "Well, I have the framed, as for the lenses, they're in a dumpster behind the court probably."

That took a few moments to sink in, but when it did Hyuuga bounded upwards so quickly that a sharp jolt of protest seemed to course through his body, starting at his lower right chest. He winced and his hands grasped at the fabric of his shirt blindly, as if it would dull the pain any.

"Hyuuga sit down-" Kiyoshi got to his feet and put a hand outwards towards the smaller boy, but the captain shook his head and sat the rest of the way up.

"The game, Kiyoshi tell me what happened!" Hyuuga couldn't remember the score, but hadn't they been ahead? Or at least close to being ahead? The score was fuzzy, but Hyuuga recalled making a handful of three pointers and Kagami had been doing decent with dunks, maybe they had pulled through! He knew it must have been tough, but they _had_ to have beaten Kirisaki Daiichi! They couldn't have lost!

"Well- uh," Kiyoshi shifted from foot to foot and looked down at fiddling hands. All of the hope that had been building up in Hyuuga's stomach before came crashing down, forming a haphazard heap on the hospital room floor. Hyuuga looked down and grasped the sheets between his hands tightly, when Kiyoshi grinned. "We won!"

Hyuuga's frown snapped upwards. "What? That's great! Stop acting so down you idiot!"

"Heh, just messing with you."

"Well stop! Now's not the time for that!"

It was then that the door flew open, and the captain of Seirin and the Iron Heart were greeted with a high pitched, overly perky and happy voice. "Hyuugacchi's awake!"

Kiyoshi grinned at his captain and Hyuuga glanced at Kise out of the corner of his eye. "What the hell did you just call me?"

The model, however, was unfazed, and rambled on and on about how glad he was that the boy was alright and functioning. Hyuuga saw the rest of Seirin come piling into the room, followed by- much to his surprise, Midorima and Murisakibara.

Hyuuga opened his mouth to ask why half of the generation of miracles was in his hotel room, then Kuroko beat him to it. "Akashi told them to check on you." The blue haired boy somehow had materialized next to Hyuuga's bed without him noticing. He jumped in surprise, clutched his stomach and groaned.

"Ugh, I have a headache." He glanced around and saw Riko smiling at him- was she crying? "Coach, what's wrong?"

Riko shook her head. "Nothing. Just glad you're alright- and we won! I still can't believe you guys, it was amazing!"

Hyuuga smiled at the grinning and merry faces of his teammates. "What happened? Hey, where's Kagami?" It wasn't until then that he realized the redheaded ace was missing.

"He's taking a nap." Murisakibara said, all while munching on a bag of chips from a vending machine.

Midorima pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "He was able to enter the zone and pull your team ahead, but he's exhausted. Even Akashi said he admitted Kagami's efforts."

"Well, that's why he's our ace!" Hyuuga couldn't help but smirk. If it hadn't been for their ace, there was no way they would have won. But that was why they had Kagami, they knew they could count on him for anything. He may not be labeled as one of the generation of miracles like Kuroko or a crownless general like Kiyoshi, but he might as well be one.

Izuki laughed and patted Hyuuga on the shoulder. "Yeah, I imagine we won't be seeing him for a long while!"

The captain couldn't help but smile, but there was a question nagging in the back of his mind that was begging to be answered. "Hey, coach?" Riko looked up and frowned. "Am I okay? Like, they wouldn't have taken me to the hospital if it wasn't serious, right?"

The room suddenly grew silent and Riko looked down at her clipboard, biting her lip. "Well, you have a grade three concussion. You woke up quite a few times between leaving the game and getting to the hospital, the doctors said, but you were a little confused, and you kept waking up and falling asleep." Hyuuga's eyebrows furrowed, he didn't remember any of that, all he remembered was the game. "And you have a bruised ribs pretty badly. You won't have to stay the night at the hospital or anything, but your concussion is pretty severe."

"It was?"

"Kentaro slammed your head into the ground, Hyuugacchi!"

"Don't call me that damn it!" His head did hurt a little, but not near as much as his ribs did. Curiously, he tried to take in a deep breath but it got caught in his throat and was only met with a jolt of pain. Riko narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't do that! Calm, easy breaths, with ten deep breaths every hour to practice on expanding your lungs."

He sighed- there was the coach he knew. "Yes ma'am."

Kiyoshi sat on the edge of the bed. "Although, that means you can't practice for about three weeks, and that's just for your ribs to heal. We don't know how long your concussion will take."

Although he had been expecting that, it was still hard to take in. He loved basketball more than anything else, he couldn't always wrap his mind around why though. He was no genius or prodigy, he was just Hyuuga. Some guy who wasn't all that great at basketball who was forced into the captain position. Or at least that's what he had thought for a while. But he knew somewhere along the road me must have done something right, or he wouldn't be there at that moment. "I guess I saw that coming."

"That means you'll just get to sit and watch practice with me every day, Hyuuga!" Kiyoshi said in a sing-song voice. Hyuuga wanted say he hated him, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead he laughed, effectively scaring the shit out of everyone around them. "Eh, Hyuuga, why are you laughing?" Kiyoshi's expression was priceless.

He shook his head. "Don't question it, idiot." Hyuuga could have sworn he heard Riko mutter, 'boys,' under her breath.

A dinging noise emanated from a cell phone, and Midorima pulled a small green flip phone from his pocket. A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "Hyuuga, Akashi and Aomine wants you to see something."

Hyuuga's eyes grew wide. "Eh? Why, what is it?"

There was a chorus of snickered across the room. "You'll see. Everyone else already did, except for Kiyoshi. He was hanging out in here constantly." Hyuuga grumbled under his breath and kicked the sheets off of him, stepping onto the cool tiled floor carefully. The second his weight left the bed the bright lights seemed to intensify, and he wasn't even aware of a pair of arms grabbing him until the walls had already began to spin. Hyuuga clenched his eyes shut.

"Come on, I'll get you to the elevator. I want to see what this is."

Seirin's captain muttered curses under his breath the entire way to the elevator. Needless to say, he felt extremely unimportant in a six foot by six foot room with two generation of miracles and a crownless general, but whatever. He was too dizzy and unaware to really think about it much. "I'm going to cut Kentaro's arm off with a nail file," Hyuuga mumbled. He thought he heard Kiyoshi chuckle, almost.

"You won't need to." He saw Kise grinning, and there was a glint in his eye that Hyuuga had only seen when the copycat had played Aomine. Frankly, it terrified him, because he then remembered that despite his outward appearance, Kise really could be dangerous when he wanted to be.

The door rang as it hit the bottom floor, and the four walked out, Kiyoshi still partially supporting Hyuuga as they walked down the hallway and into the lobby. Hyuuga and Kiyoshi stopped dead in their tracks with what was before them. Between Kiyoshi's healing knee and Hyuuga's ribs and concussion, it was a wonder that the pair was able to not fall over in shock.

Before them, laying in a waiting bed, was the bruised and crumpled form of Hanamiya Makoto. One eye was swollen shut and a deep purple, and the man appeared to be near consciousness. There was also a mighty gash across his lower lip, which was inflamed as if it had been punched. Although despite his semi-aware state he was cradling one arm, where a few fingers appeared to be bent at odd angles. One knee was bent and the other straight, and the man looked as if he hadn't been able to find a comfortable position to pass out in. What was visible of his arms and legs were bruised and littered with purple and pink spots along with various small cuts. In his good hand, though, rested a small note, facing upwards, and Hyuuga and Kiyoshi staggered over to look at it. The slip of paper simply read,

Dear Seirin,

Here is your reward for keeping your promise. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Sincerely,

Various Rivals


End file.
